The torture of the 10km!

The Embarcadero 10km was my second race of the season, and was another step forward in my build into the 2011 Triathlon season! I cannot believe that my first few triathlon's will be happening within a few weeks. YAY! I am really excited to be back racing, and in good form this year!!! Back to the 10km. Arrived in plenty of time, registered, had a descent little warmup, and the legs were feeling good and responsive.

Race Start - Aquatic Park

The gun went off, and my plan was to run the first 5km in around 20min, and go for broke on the way home.

Sky view of the Embarcadero

I was running really well, and passed the 2 mile mark. Then, the rough patches started to happen. I was having some issues staying focused mentally on the task at hand, and my mind was wondering all over the place. I was making an effort to stay in the moment, but each time, I would find myself thinking of things other than my run form and running fast. However, still got to the turnaround point at my goal time, and was ready to rip thru the last 5km.

5km Turnaround Point

Mile 3-4 was ok, but the pack of guys ahead of me were really pulling away now, and I could no longer see them. Mind wonders some more. Then mile 4-5 the wheels came off the wagon :( I passed my lactate and mental threshold, and had to pull back on my pace a bit to recover and knew that I lost some time there.

Mile 5 - Trolley and Palm Trees

At mile 5, I again committed to giving it all till the end, and this time, I did not win the sprint across the line, and had 1 guy pass me right at the end.

There were some issues with the course and the timing. Apparently the course as a bit short, with the turnaround point being marked at 3 miles, instead of 3.2 miles. And somehow, the timing of the race was modified to account for this??

My "adjusted" result time for 10km was 40min 22sec. I was initially disappointed with this, but then I thought about it. It is only Febuary, this is a "C" race for me, and was only 9 seconds off my all time personal best 10km time of 40min 13sec. Also, who really knows what my actual time would have been for an accurate 10km? This one was all about going thru the race motions, putting out a race effort, and getting ready for the triathlons in the next few weeks!

http://dserunners.com/results/2011/embarcadero10k.html

I am content with the results and the effort for early season, and know what I need to do to get to where I want to be. I still cannot believe how incredibly difficult running races are! For me, the mental challenge of just a running race is so much more diffucult than doing a triathlon. I must admit, the running races are more torture than enjoyment for me, but that is all part of the challenge :)

Happy training and thanks for checking in.

Next up - Santa Barbara Sprint Triathlon Mar 20....

Stephen